11 Jun 2017

FC Barcelona lift U.S. Open title

The men from Catalunya signed off with a victory in Virginia Beach on Sunday.

FC Barcelona reclaimed the U.S. Open title at the North American Sand Soccer Championships in Virginia Beach on Sunday with a 6-1 win against Gobeachsoccer.

Barca - champions in 2015 - got past Great Lakes in their semi-final while their opponents in the final beat VB Alliance earlier in the day.

In what proved a tense start to the final in a packed-out stadium, neither side could find a breakthrough in the opening 12 minutes before a brace from Heimanu Taiarui helped Barca into a 4-0 lead with one period to play.

With a clear advantage, Spain’s Antonio added a brace of his own and, while tournament top scorer Frank Velazquez ensured a consolation goal for Gobeachsoccer with two seconds left, the title belonged to a Barca side who had grown steadily stronger throughout the competition.

In the third-place play-off, Great Lakes, from West Michigan, proved too strong for Virginia-based VB Alliance in a 7-1 success.